The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-18
GRADUATING DAY ATBUTLER
The Glass of 81 Closes Its College Career
with the Customary Exercises.
able Display Of Their Abilities and Accom-
plishments-0ther Educational Events.
BUTLER CLOSES ANOTHER YEAR.
The Graduating Exercises of the Glass of
1877 YESTERDAY


The Graduating Exercises of the Glass OF
'S7 Yesterday.
Since the first class graduated, thirty-two
years ago. 260 graduates have gone out from
Butler University. They are in every State of
the Union, and in every occupation, a large pro-
portion of them being ministers in the Church
Of the Disciples. For thirteen years the college
was in Indianapolis; in 1875 il removed to Irving
ton; in 1877 the old name, Northwestern Chris
tan University, gave way to the name of Butler
University in honor OF the who had
given largely its endowment, and
who for twenty years had given
large part of his time to it's interests.
Butler has had it's ups and downs, with all Tndi-
ana schools; the classes in the sixties were
broken by the war. OF the class OF 61 every
member went into the service-Squires died on
the field of Shiloh, Dougherty joined the regu-
Jar army, Lock wood is in Chicago. and George
Spahr of this city, a cavalryman made a
good record. OF seven in the brilliant
class of &c, four are dead: OF
some Of the early classes, all live.
The class of 70 was the largest, nineteen in
number, including four who now college
professors. and several rising young lawyers of
this city and FIVE ministers The graduates are
more widely scattered than these of any other
college In Lne state. Inc CLASS OF o., WHICH
graduated yesterday, comprises eighteen mem
bers, four Of whom are lades, and one, Gertrude
A. Mahorney, of lrvington, is of African descent
1.-THE first to graduate from the colleee) and one
of the best speakers in the class. Every mem
Der of this class gave address, the exercises
commencing at $50 A. M. and holding until
2. NJ. with m intermission for dinner.
The stage was profusely decorated with flow
ers Music was furnished by Professor and Mrs
Ora Pearson and Adolph Schellschmdt. of In
Annapolis Miss Flora Price, of Ohio and an
Dbetreperous infant the back row. The
seventeen graduates sat the stage in an i'm
posing semi-crcle with President Biount, of the
board of directors. at one end and President
Benton at the other Rev. j. L. Parsons, OF
Rushville, invoked the divine blessing, and the
president introduced the first speaker of the
ssy ON Good in Things Esii.S The Young iady
said that human life was full OF anttheses. every
JOY having its sorrow. 1t is under these sor-
rows, however, that the mind and soul best
rengthened and improved Religious persecu-
tions good examples. It was through the
exile of the pilgrim fathers that freedom of
speech and conscience were brought to the new
world. Affections, then. are to be lightly borne,
since out of these evils good things can come.
Miss Bount was followed by Mr.. l.. A. Coble,
who Delivered an GRAFTON on the IDEAL an
religion and since the stream cannot rise higher
that the source. the prevailing ideal must be a
religious one ana q nlRl one lnero lb LO-uay
everywhere a call for the man with the high
IDEAL A revolution in society is imminent
Anarchists and liquor men are defiant Law
may be of some avail, but the quiet powerful
Influence of Christianity is better. Receiving
impulses and additions from II, The stream of
progress. through the continued efforts of men
of high ideas of perfection. is sweeping irresist-
bly, on, and nothing can check its force.
Mr.. E. S. Conner was the next speaker. and
his theme Advancement of Belief" He
said that downfall and retrogression were easy,
that reputation was impaired or lost well
made. In the fall of nations their opinions and
beliefs moldered with them or lived on. We are
but in our moral infancy. In the intelli-
gent ministry of the land lies our hope for ad-
vanoement Man will keep advancing as a
class and individual Mr.. Conner is one
of the numerous preachers in the Glass; and goes
at once to work in his chosen calling
Mr.. B. F. Daily came next with an Grafton on
"Skepticism." He, as did the preceding speaker.
talked in optimistic strains of the onward march
of mind He rehearsed some of the advances
made from the superstitions of old
TO the beliefs OF to-day These crude
approximations are the ones the skeptic
delights to attack. They very inconsist-
emit in their attacks. They cry down the
miracles of the Bible. and ask US to believe in
spontaneous generation. They want to take
from us every cheering hope, and offer us abso-
Iutely nothing instead. Revelation is unmoved
by all their senseless assaults, and continues to
move grandly on.
Mr. Emmett w. Cans, OF Ohio, the next
orator. His subject was Mature and Nurture"
and he went through it thoroughly. He said
that nature storehouse of spiritual energy
and the source of all emotion and active thought
The full truth of nature is never realized ST.
lence is tie sum OF harmony and absorption that
Of duty. Action is not an end OF life, but a
means
Miss Jenny Graydor was the next essayist of
the morning. esd her theme was Childhood in
Literature" The nineteenth century has left
Its stamp on every department of lfe and espe-
cially on the literature of the world Here it is
that the child is first found element in
literature. Wordsworth was the first TO put
the world into thorough sympathy with the
child.
f. Rollin Kautz was the next orator He
spoke on Turn, Turn My Wheel" At the wheel
of destiny man is working out his fate. So long
as contemplation of the past furnishes us with
The patterns of the past too imperfect
Washington and the Puritans examples
Absolute originality is not very often attained
but we can at least improve on the work of our
forefathers
Mr.. ]. S. McCallum spoke on THE Triumph OF
Genius" Every escape from darkness to light,
he said, from misery to happiness, is due to
man of genius. There is the genius of nature
and the genius Of work. Genius must be sup
plemented by energy and endurance to bring
about the grand results which it is capable of |
achieving. 1t is to genius that the everlasting |
Of immortality are raised
Miss Gertrude A. Mahorney, the first |
as her subject Two Portraits" The two |
men whose deeds and characters che COM |
pared and eulogizsd were Emerson and Sumner.
She dwelt more particularly on the scholar. say
ing that the statesman was almost like him in
and appreciation of them.
Miss Martha O. Murry's essay was on Women
in Emergency" She showed that the proper
emergency would bring out women in dazzling
splsndor as q martyr hero. The shackles
Of conventionalism are weighing her down. She
has the capabilities for any of the emergencies
which men so successfully meet. Slavery ard |
received their first blows at wom-
ems hands
Johu A Keller made a plea for The Ameri-
can Indian" He spoke of the uncalled-for in
suits and injuries that had been heaped on the
rightful owners OF this continent
Mr.. A. w. Shoemaker spoke on ''God in His
tory" Speaking of God in science and litera-
ture first, he came to the evidences of divine
guidance IN His dealings with the nations.
Gods part in Jewish history first noticed,
md in that of America. but it was in English
history especially, that the work of the super
human hand shown.
The noon recess was held. and many of the
visitors enjoyed picnic dinners the campus.